Drawn by the allure of the American Dream after World War II, masses of Jewish people migrated from coast to coast, finally settling in Los Angeles. Los Angeles has since become the fourth-largest center for Jews in the world. Migrants and their descendants then made the move to Santa Clarita. In their search for a strong Jewish community, 17 families met and discussed creating a congregation.
In 1973, with a following that had doubled in numbers, the nameless congregation officially became Congregation Beth Shalom (CBS) and relocated to a nursing home basement in Newhall. There was a detrimental fire in the nursing home, however, and the congregation moved to the United Methodist Church in Valencia.
Then in the early 80’s, Congregation Beth Shalom began construction of a synagogue on Lyons Avenue. The Congregation stayed in this location for about 10 years until in 1995 CBS decided to begin construction of their current synagogue on Centre Point Parkway.
The congregation has continued to grow with a preschool, youth center, Sisterhood, Men’s Club and a “Family Promise” program. To accommodate this growth, CBS constructed a new sanctuary that was completed in early May. To revamp their place of worship, CBS also remodeled and refurbished the existing modular buildings, as well as the preschool building during the 18 months of construction.
CBS celebrated this great feat with a Dedication Weekend from May 29- 31. In addition to a party featuring live music and dancing, a Dedication Ceremony featuring local, county and state dignitaries, special guest speaker The Hon. David Siegel, Consul General to the State of Israel, plus musical performances by Cantor Phil Baron and world-renown pianist Norman Krieger, capped the weekend.
After 40 years in the Santa Clarita Valley, CBS is incredibly proud of their new sanctuary. “Beyond the thrill of having a new sanctuary, the building marks the profound impact that Beth Shalom has had in coming together as a tight-knit community,” said Rabbi Ron Hauss, spiritual leader of the congregation. “We are a congregation that recognizes that the synagogue will succeed or fail not just on the basis of the structure, but on the basis of human relationships. People come to this synagogue for one reason, but they stay because of the relationships they make.”
Building Project Manager Dave Simon states, “in the final analysis, the building is just a building; [but] it’s the love of Judaism, people, the ruach (spirit), community and camaraderie that make CBS our spiritual home!”
Join Congregation Beth Shalom for weekly Shabbat evening services each Friday, and Shabbat morning services every Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. Special events can also be found on their website calendar. For those interested in learning more about the congregation and membership, CBS invites you to attend either of two Open Houses scheduled in the coming weeks – August 23 and August 30. Both will be from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Congregation Beth Shalom, 21430 Centre Pointe Parkway in Santa Clarita.
Find more information at www.cbs-scv.org. Also, be sure to check out the CBS newsletter, “The Shofar,” on the website.
PHOTOS BY ROGER REINER/RBR photography